Denaturing Generated Pu in Fast Breeder Reactor Blanket

Abstract

Protected Pu production (P3) is a recently developed concept to enhance the proliferation resistance properties of Pu by increasing the fraction of even-mass-number Pu isotopes thus leading to the denaturing of Pu. The present paper deals with the possibility of denaturing Pu by consideration of Pu and minor actinides (MAs) multicycling in medium-size fast breeder reactors (FBRs). It was found that multicycling of Pu and MAs in FBRs enhances the proliferation resistance of Pu by increasing the fraction of evenmass-number Pu isotopes. The proliferation resistance of Pu in P3 recycling options satisfied criteria based on Kessler's proposal, i.e., 6% 238Pu content, and Pellaud's proposal, i.e., 30% 240Pu content. The normalized attractiveness of Pu in P3 recycling options satisfied both criteria in the core as well as in the blanket with the combination of even-mass-number Pu isotopes. At the initial introduction, two P3 FBRs (714 MWth class) with the addition of 5 wt% MA into the blanket can be operated usi...